Do you burn N-S or E-W?

[John the Painter]

Just wondering if there is any advantage to burning North to South or East to West?I have a Drolet Austral and I typically burn North to South without any problems.I just find it easier to fill the stove good and full for the day and overnight burns.
Opinions and experiance?

 

[nate379]

NS. I am just used to doing it that way since most of the stoves I have used had a firebox that was longer in that direction. Easier to load as well.

Not sure on my princess if the firebox is a bit larger EW but 16-18" logs fit no trouble NS

 

[wood-fan-atic]

I go both ways ( uh, wait, ....that didnt come out right :red: ).Usually 5 or so N/S acroos stove floor, then 3 nice long oak fatties on top for a nice long burn.

 

[DBoon]

Small stove and front loading access leaves me no choice...it does get a little tiring trying to stack it full for an overnight burn and not having everything fall towards the front....

 

[albertj03]

Small stove and front loading access leaves me no choice...it does get a little tiring trying to stack it full for an overnight burn and not having everything fall towards the front....

That was the problem I had with my small CFM stove. Trying to put the wood in there just right so it wouldn't tumble out . I told myself many times that I would have a bigger n/s loading stove before this heating season and ended up buying the Super 27. I did get a little teary eyed when I sold the CFM and watched it go down the road in the guys truck.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Load the stove however it best loads.

 

[Justin M]

I go both ways ( uh, wait, ....that didnt come out right :red: ).Usually 5 or so N/S acroos stove floor, then 3 nice long oak fatties on top for a nice long burn.

X2 - N/S on the bottom seems to help to air to flow to all of the wood in my Regency, and 3 E/W to top it off.

 

[shawng111]

After burning E/W all season in my drolet savannah I was as pleased as punch to load N/S in my new Drolet Baltic. Dont get me wrong the savannah is a fine stove but that E/W loading can be frustrating at times when it all wants to spill out towards you, I shuttered a few times when a log rolled onto the glass and made a big clunk while a fire was raging inside. The N/S on the Baltic is sooooo nice

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

My splits are generally around 18", the Oslo I use generally goes E/W, side loading. I have tried N/S but the pieces would have to be stubbies ontop of a few E/W pieces.

 

[BrotherBart]

For thirty years I have burned N/S. Two or three times a year I will stay up forever trying to get a E/W burn to burn right in the big stove. And not tumble into the glass, or choke, or go nuts. I admit it. I am a failure at wood burning. Can't get a big firebox stove to burn E/W worth a damn.

The little Jotuls burn like gangbusters E/W every time I fire'em up. The pellet stove, not so much. Positioning the pellets just ain't worth it.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Bart,
You made me laugh with the pellet joke, very funny!

 

[laynes69]

I've attempted E/W and I cannot for the life of me get it to burn. Only N/S will burn for me.

 

[pen]

I've attempted E/W and I cannot for the life of me get it to burn. Only N/S will burn for me.

Same thing here, not worth the aggravation for my stove as I would have a better chance of coming home to find my wife stacking next years wood pile for me than me getting it to burn right E-W

pen

 

[Swamp Fox]

Well, I got a story about my N/S burning... For four years I thought I was burning N/S...the ends were left to right and I would lay the pieces in starting at the back and work my way to the front, just like they showed in the pictures in the manual, and they brochure said the stove would take 23 inch pieces, there is only one way a 23 inch piece of wood will fit, and that is left to right. Well, last year a member of this forum corrected me and taught me that N/S means the end pieces are N and S. Only 17" pieces or less will lay in the N/S orientation. So I re-cut half a cord of my 22" splits to 17" and did a trial period burning in the true N/S direction. I did notice a significant improvement in performance. The glass, while not totally clean, stayed cleaner longer, and, not sure if this is possible, but it seemed a load burned longer with the pieces burning from the ends like a cigar burns. Additionally, it was a lot easier to load.
The improvement was so impressive to me that I decided to re-cut my five cords of stacked/split firewood to 17" length. For re-cutting my trial firewood, I used a chop saw and that was a slow process. Another member on this forum told me about a cut-off box he made where he made the box as tall as he wanted, with the depth just short of 17", and the width just short of the length of his chainsaw bar, in which he stacked the splits and ran a chainsaw down the splits. So I made one and was able to cut the remaining two and 1/2 cords in no time at all. And the cut-offs were great in a fire pit. I remain so thankful to those members who "showed me the way."

 

[flyingpig]

E/W. Not that I want to, but my insert doesn't have a deep firebox. It doesn't burn well with E/W from cold start, but I solve the issue but using two smaller branches lying N/S on the floor to lift the whole pile up. That helps deliver the primary air to the back and get the fire going much faster.

But once I have a good bed of hot coal, it doesn't matter anymore.

Cheers....Som

 

[rdust]

I've tried e/w a time or two and gave up on it. My stove burns much better n/s, I don't think I'd ever buy a stove that wasn't deep enough to burn n/s. Loading the stove e/w is also a PITA, much easier to toss the splits in n/s. A stove that loads from the side would probably be much easier to load e/w I'd imagine.

 

[begreen]

So far we've burned N/S, E/W and diagonally in the T6. That's what is nice about a big firebox. Lots of wiggle room. N/S is great for starting fires and a predictable, steady burn. E/W seems to slow the burn down a bit which at times can be nice. And if the split is too large, it gets put in there diagonally.

 

[kenny chaos]

My stove faces south so we burn E-W. I've contemplated turning the stove sideways to see if N-S would be better.
If I turn it sideways though, my rotisserie would not fit in front of it properly.
For now, we've decided to keep burning E-W.

 

[DBoon]

It doesn’t burn well with E/W from cold start, but I solve the issue but using two smaller branches lying N/S on the floor to lift the whole pile up. That helps deliver the primary air to the back and get the fire going much faster.

Yep, me too, and I can get it to burn pretty slowly and still secondary combust if I turn the primary air down just before it really starts to take off.

 

[Deadcalm]

East-West in our Jotul F600 - the 50cm splits won't fit any other way. seems to burn OK.

 

[firefighterjake]

East-West . . . due to the rectangular shape of the firebox . . . works fine for me . . . good, long burns . . . no fuss, no muss.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

NS due to the shape of the firebox. Works good. I believe mine would smolder too much loaded EW only. OTOH, shorter cross pieces placed EW allow the stack to breathe really well if I'm layering NS.

 

[btuser]

N/S to start, then E/W for overnight. I do it this way more for the size of the splits than anything else.

 

[kenny chaos]

It depends on where you live. I'm in the north-east so I cut opposing 45 degree angles on my logs.
If you're in the south-west this will work but you'll have to flip them over.

 

[Jags]

Bart,
You made me laugh with the pellet joke, very funny!

If you want to laugh - you should see him running that tiny little chain saw to make those pellets.

I burn E-W cuz the stove was designed that way. If I ever replace this stove, it will be with a N-S unit (heck, by then they will probably have nuclear pellets).